


A Ring

by diemarysues



Series: Paws Pitter-Pattering [5]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 00:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1113373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diemarysues/pseuds/diemarysues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As my document title says, "And so the craziness continues". More cathamsters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Ring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alkjira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alkjira/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Purring Cat, Hidden Hamster](https://archiveofourown.org/works/983833) by [alkjira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alkjira/pseuds/alkjira). 



> Just a short little thing. Sequel to [Forgot the Mention One Little Thing](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1101335).
> 
> (Title's just a lyric, has nothing to do with the fic. Js.)

“And so the craziness continues,” Ori said resignedly – mostly to himself, of course, because Kíli was too busy cooing over their newest arrivals.

 

“They’re so _cute_. Aren’t they cute?” He put his chin on his hands, which he’d rested flat on the table. “I think they’re cuter than the first batch.”

 

Thorin meowed in a complaining fashion. The cat was on the table as well, on the red terrycloth that’d been laid out, curled around Bilbo. His tail lashed to and fro as he considered Kíli with narrowed blue eyes.

 

“Yes, yes, you think they’re all cute. But you’re their father; I think you’re kind of biased.”

 

Ori twitched. He sent a beseeching look towards Bilbo – which was probably silly, because animals didn’t understand English surely – who twitched his nose and looked unimpressed. No help from that quarter then, especially when one of the week-old little additions made a soft sound; Bilbo’s attention immediately went there, nosing gently at curly fur.

 

“Cuuuuuute,” Kíli breathed, and… well, Ori had to agree.

 

Even if he didn’t want to think about the origins of these four new hamster pups.

 

* * *

 

Merry and Pippin looked enviously up at Tauriel and Haldir, where they clung to the top of the cage (on the inside, of course). “That’s so unfair. We can’t do that.”

 

Frodo snorted. “Doesn’t stop you from getting stuck up in high places.”

 

“Shut up, Frodo,” Merry sniped, though without heat.

 

Pippin put his front paws against the side of the cage, eyes still guineatiel-wards. “Yeah, shut up, Frodo.”

 

Boromir nudged Merry’s side. He – along with his siblings – rather dwarfed the cathamsters, even Durin. “I can teach you two, if you like.”

 

Aragorn chuckled at the excited peeps this announcement elicited. Boromir looked a little overwhelmed when Merry and Pippin started climbing over him, completely ignoring his (somewhat hysterical) requests for them to calm down.

 

“Are they usually like this?” he asked, washing the side of his face.

 

Frodo laughed. “You have no idea.”

 

Durin snorted. “As if you don’t get into as much trouble as the both of them – and not even including the time you squirreled away in Ori’s pocket.”

 

“Some good came of that,” his smallest brother sniffed. “At least I’m not a stick in the mud.”

 

As they two started bickering, Kíli bounded forward and pawed at Aragorn’s face to gain his attention. Once he had it, he flopped onto his belly, peering up at the dark-coloured guineatiel. “Can I ask a question?”

 

“Yes. What is it, Kíli?” Aragorn asked kindly.

 

“How come one of your dads has weird fur?”

 

Aragorn winced and looked over at his parents – luckily neither seemed to have heard the question. He met Kíli’s earnest gaze again, and figured that it was a query made of innocent curiosity rather than any sort of pointed malice. “It’s not fur; Papa has feathers.”

 

“Feathers?” Kíli’s head tilted to the side, ears twitching. “What are feathers?”

 

It was perhaps good that they’d been as curious as Kíli when they’d been newly born and full of questions; Aragorn could remember Haldir asking the same thing of their parents. “Feathers are like fur, except for birds. Which is what Papa is.”

 

Kíli tested out the new word on his tongue a few times. Then: “And what do ‘birds’ do with their feathers?”

 

“They fly, of course.” There was a tiny bit of moroseness accompanying this answer, because as of yet, he and his siblings were incapable of flight. Or, at least, that was what they thought. Any attempts to test this theory were quickly put down, as either or both of their parents usually had an eye out.

 

Kíli’s eyes were wide. “Can _you_ fly?”

 

* * *

 

“You’re amazing,” Thorin purred, and licked Bilbo’s ear. “Absolutely amazing.”

 

“You’ve said,” Bilbo replied, sounding amused. He turned his head, looking up to crinkle his eyes at his cat. “Many times, and at great length. Not that I’m complaining.” He returned his gaze downwards and sighed. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

 

“Yes. Just like you.”

 

On usual days Bilbo would have protested this declaration, but as it stood, he felt he rather deserved it. T’wasn’t every day they two had newborns.

 

Their five (older!) sons were kept separate in Gimli’s home, seeing as they were a little too rambunctious to be around their new siblings. Soon it would be time for meetings, but for now Bilbo and Thorin revelled in the quietness of the morning with their four little ones.

 

The oldest was called Éomer, the second Éowyn, and the third Fíli, after Kíli’s brother. They were all three fair-furred, Éowyn almost as pale as snow while the other two were closer to Bilbo’s colouring. Their last and littlest they named Rosie, and she was almost jet-black, like Thorin. Bilbo loved every single one of them more than he could say; just as he loved his mate and their other sons.

 

Their newest children were not yet able to speak, but their chattering and peeping made his heart glow warm like a fire.

 

Thorin leaned over Bilbo’s body, nuzzling Éowyn lightly so she would settle down. As he withdrew, Fíli put his head up and Thorin licked their son’s face gently. Fíli cheeped.

 

“Bilbo.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Do you think we’ll have more children after this?”

 

He shifted in place, frowning. “I hope you realise that we already have nine.”

 

“I know, but it’d be nice to have… thirteen. Thirteen is a good number.”

 

Bilbo snorted. “Mmhmm. And imagine if all thirteen are as naughty as our first five.”

 

There was a long pause as Thorin considered this. “Right. You’ve convinced me.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know, your suggestion bears merit,” Bilbo said, just to annoy his cat that bit further. He then smugly added, “I suppose I wouldn’t mind more children…”

 

“Really? Even after –”

 

“– if _you_ bear them.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> (And that last scene is inspired a little by [this](http://sadspockpanda.tumblr.com/image/135524131906), which led to alkjira and I speculating about an AU of this AU.)


End file.
